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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · rock · kick · deal · kid · tube · bass · key

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rock — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rock — a stone
  8. key — in music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bass — the fish
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. tube — a container
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com